Well, I survived the first class. I wouldn’t say that I’m no worse for wear, but I’m ok. Definitely tired, and maybe just a tad loopy. (Note to self: work on tucking chin and protecting head better) I’m four weeks behind the rest of the class, so that means I have a lot of catching up to do. The good news is, I’ve taken a whole bunch of martial arts classes over the decade or so, so that helps. The bad news is that it also hurts me. I have a tendency to try to protect myself from some things more than I should. Part of wrestling is going with the flow. If someone is throwing you, you have to let them throw you. And the easier you make it for them to hurl you across the ring, the better. This is pretty counter intuitive to me. I’m getting it, but its the hardest thing I learned today by far. Basically, a lot of the time I look like I’m trying to not get hurt instead of looking like the other guy is killing me. On the other hand, I’m told I’m a fast learner, and according to the instructors, I’m about 75% caught up with the class at this point. So I guess the previous fighting lessons (as well as just having watched wrestling for the last 20 years) helped.
Biggest mistake I made today: The second I got to the training facility I realized that I’d left my water bottle at home. Anyone who does anything athletic with me knows that I sweat like a pig, so I like to keep myself very hydrated. Running around a wrestling ring might not look tiring, but it is… especially when you do it for two hours straight. In the time that it has taken me to talk to beststephi on the phone and type this (about 15 minutes), I have downed 1.5 liters of ice water, and I’m still thirsty. If it were not for the “moisture transport” capabilities of Under Armour™ performance apparel (I swear to God, they aren’t paying me, wooble), I don’t think I would have survived.
Moves I learned today: Basic lockup, arm wrench, wrist lock, single-leg takedown. 4 down, 997 to go.
You fight well, in the old style…
We must compare fake fighting notes when next I see you in real life.
Two questions (or one depending on the answer to the first), how much of a match is pre-choreographed and how much is improvised using cues and whatnot? If there is improvisation, how structured is it?
One piece of advice that may help overcoming the martial arts reflexes (the struggle for which you have tremendous sympathy from me) is to try to think of it more like dancing and less like fighting. You are there to make your partner look good and vice versa. The mental shift from “opponent” to “partner” is essential here.
One of my stage combat teachers had great wisdom in the begining of a rapier & daggger class a few years back, he said “we aren’t fighting, we’re actors using props to tell a story.”
Re: You fight well, in the old style…
right now, for me its kind of both… I mean, there are only 4 things I am allowed to/know how to do. So its not like there is a lot of variation. Beyond that, I’m kind of encouraged to make the best of that that I can.
actors telling a story is a good anology. I’m working pretty hard at that. I actually don’t have a lot of problem letting people do the moves on me(not so far anyway, I thought I would, but I’m ok). What’s hard is letting that be followed through on… when I’m being thrown, there is a real instinct to try to protect myself and or get out of it, which would be a bad thing…